Regulating device for forced air registers



Gd. 115, 1935. s. HART ET Al;

REGULATING DEVICE FOR FORCED AIR REGISTERS Filed Feb. 24, 1954 gwuc/wfm Sianley Hart Julius Carlson Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE REGULATING DEVICE FOR FORCED AIR REGISTERS necticut Application February 24, 1934, Serial No. 712,697

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in control devices for forced air registers, and has for its principal object the provision of a control device that is easily adjustable to any desired position for controlling the amount of air forced through the register.

A further object lies in the provision of a device of the character described in which the control valve will be positively retained in its adjusted position and will not be moved out of its adjusted position or caused to chatter by the air flowing through the register.

A still further object lies in the provision in a device of the character described of means for adjustably limiting the amount of movement of the valve of the control device.

An additional object resides in the provision of a device of the character described that is neat and attractive in appearance, easy to install, and simple and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, in which like reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout, we have illustrated a preferred mechanical embodiment of the idea of the invention. The drawing, however, is not to be taken as limiting the invention, the scope of which is to be measured entirely by the scope of the appended claims In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the rear side of a forced air register showing our improved control device applied thereto, parts being broken away to better illustrate the construction of the same;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the valve of the control device in open position;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a fragmentary portion of ourimproved control device, parts thereof being broken away to better illustrate the construction of the same; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 2 of a fragmentary part of our improved control device showing the'control valve in closed position.

Referring to the drawing in detail, we have indicated at A the interior wall of a building, provided with an aperture for the reception of a forced air register. This opening is preferably lined with a metallic rim or molding B to protect the edge. of the plaster around the opening. An air duct C is connected with the opening provided in the wall A and may have its outer end bent back to overlap the forward edge of the molding B, as indicated at 5. The opening is covered.

by a. register, generally indicated at it, comprising a frame l2 and a' grill l4. While we have illustrated a grill i i made up of spaced horizontal and vertical bars, it is to be understood that this grill may be in the form of a mesh or an orna- 5 mental wrought metal construction, or any other form suitable for this purpose. The frame 12 is preferably of generally L or angle cross section, and has one flange parallel to the surface of the wall A and overlapping the same around the edge 10 of the opening, and the other flange parallel to the wall of the duct C. In the particular mechanical embodiment illustrated, we have shown a register of generally rectangular form. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not 5 limited to a register of such form and may be applied to'a register of circular or other suitable shape. In the form of device illustrated, we have shown the flange of the frame, as indicated at l5, which is parallel to the top wall of the duct C, 20 as spaced downwardly from the top wall of the duct by an appreciable amount. To this flange 15, we have rigidly secured a rod 11 extending longitudinally of the flange and positioned slightly above the same, and to this rodwe have hinged 25 the upper edge of a valve member 20, by bending. overa portion of the upper part of the valve member to form aloop surrounding the rod, as indicated at 21. This valve member 29 is of the same size and shape as the register iii and, by 30 means of the hinge construction 2 l, maybe moved from one to'the other of two operative positions to open or close the register, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, respectively.

In order to provide for manual adjustment of 35 the valve member-20 to regulate the amount of air flowing through the register It, we have provided a manual control in the form of a knob 25, rigidly secured to the outer end of a, screw threaded shaft or shank 21 which is adapted, 40 upon manual rotation of the knob 25, to impart movement to a nut 30 which, in turn, is operatively connected to the valve 20 to move the same.

At the horizontal center of the register and somewhat below the flange 15 of the upper frame member, we have provided an abutment member 32 which has a portion extending through the register and rigidly secured thereto by suitable means, such as by welding or riveting, this portion to the lower surface of the upper grill bar W. The abutment member 32 has an upwardly extending portion 3'3 extending parallel with the surface of the wall A and substantially in the plane of the trim flanges of the frame I2. This upwardlyextending-portion 32' is provided with an aperture 34 through which the screw thread-f ed shaft 2'! extends. An abutment washer 35 secured to the knob 25 is adapted to bear against the outer surface of the bent up portion 32' of the abutment member 32 to restrain the shaft 21 against movement inwardly through the aperture 34, and a second abutment washer 38 is rigidly secured on the shaft 21 inwardly of the portion 32' to restrain the shaft against outward movement through the aperture 34. Thus the shaft 21 is rotatably but axially immovably secured to the frame l2 of the register Ill. The nut 30 is square, as particularly illustrated in Fig. 1, and is provided along the Vertical sides thereof with inwardly extending grooves, as indi cated at 40. A connecting member, generally indicated at 42, is secured to the upper portion of the valve member 20 by a suitable means, such as the screws 43, and is provided at the upper end thereof with an upwardly and outwardly extending portion 45.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the portion 45 of the member 42 is provided with an indentation or cut out portion 41 opposite the nut 30, and at the top of this indentation, is provided with a pair of lugs 48 and 49 which extend into the vertical slots 40 provided in the side walls of the nut 30.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be observed from the above description that axial movement of the nut 30 along the shaft 21 by reason of the engagement of the lugs 48 and 49 in the grooves 40 will swing the valve member 20 about the hinge 2| from the open to the closed position of such valve member, or vice versa. The square nut 30 has a sliding fit between the horizontal portion of the member 32 and the flange member I5. These members restrain the nut from vertical movement and also restrain it against rotation so that rotation of the knob 25 and threaded shaft 21 which extends through a screw threaded aperture provided in the nut moves the nut axially along the shaft to swing the valve member 20 from one to the other of its two operative positions. Upon its top surface, the nut 30 is provided with an upwardly extending lug 52 which passes through, and is slidable in, a slot 54 which extends transversely of the flange member l5. Referring to Fig. 3, it will be observed that this lug 52 has three rectangular sides and a diagonal side 55. A stop member 58 is adjustably secured upon the upper surface of the flange l 5 by means of a screw 60 extending through an elongated slot 62 in the stop member and screw threaded into the flange l5, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. This adjustable stop member 58 is provided with a diagonal end 64 adapted to cooperate with the diagonal side 55 of the lug 52 to limit the extent of movement of the nut 30 along the shaft 27.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the stop member 58 may be adjusted and secured in various adjusted positions by sim-' ply moving this stop member longitudinally of the flange l5 to the extent of the slot 62 and clamping it in adjusted position by the screw 60. As the stop member is moved to theright, as viewed in Fig. 3, the extent of movement of the nut 30, will be more restricted, and as the stop member is moved to the left, the extent of movement of the nut will be greater. The slot 62 is so arranged that when the stop member is in its limiting left-hand position the lug 52 will still engage the end of this stop member and restrain the nut 30 from complete separation from the shaft 21. With the improved construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing and de-' scribed above, it will be observed that-in order: to move the valve member 20 to any pbs'ition of adjustment it is only necessary to manually rotate the knob 25 in the proper direction to" the proper amount to secure the desired adjdst-" ment, after which the valve member will remain? in such adjusted position without being moved or caused to vibrate or chatter by the air flowing through the register. It will be observed that we have provided a control means for a forced air register which is simple and ecdrfoinfical to manufacture and install and which is particularly neat and inconspicuous. I

While we have described and illustrated sparticular mechanical embodiment of the ideaipf our invention, it is to be understood that the m vention is not limited to the construction so described and illustrated but that such changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to as come Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now described our invention so that others skilled in the art may clearly understand the same, what we desire to secure by Letters- Patent is as follows:

We claim as our invention:

1. A control device for a forced air register comprising, a grill, a valve member hinged to said grill and movable from one to the otherof: two operative positions to cover or uncover s'aid grill, and means for moving said valve member from one to the other of its two operative positions comprising, a screw threaded shaft rotatably but axially immovably mounted on said grill, means for rotating said shaft, a nut on said shaft axially movable with respect to but restrained from rotation therewith, said nut having a lug extending through a slot provided in the frame of said grill, an abutment member for limiting the movement of said nut comprising, a plate having a diagonal end adjustably securedon the frame of said grill adjacent to said slot in such position that said diagonal end will engage the lock on said nut to limit the movement of said nut, said plate being shiftahle along said grill to change the point at which said diagonal end engages said lug to thereby variably limit the movement of said nut, and an operative connection between said nut and said. valve member.

2. A control device for a forced air register comprising, a grill, a valve member hinged to said grill and movable from one to the other of two operative positions to cover or uncover said grill, and means for moving said valve member from one to the other of its two operative positions comprising, a screw threaded shaft rotatably but axially immovably mounted on said grill, means for rotating said shaft, a squared nut on said shaft axially movable with respect to said shaft but restrained from rotation therewith, a groove in each of two opposite sides of said nut, a connecting member secured to said valve member and having a portion bent towards said nut, a portion of said bent portion of said connecting member being cut away to receive said nut therein, said bent portion being provided with lugs at the extremity of said cutaway portion, said lugs engaging in said grooves to pivotally connect said nut with said valve member whereby movement of said nut axially along said screw threaded shaft will swing said valve member about said hinge from one to the other of its two operative positions.

3. A control device for a forced air register comprising, a grill, a valve member hinged to said grill and movable from one to the other of two operative positions to cover or uncover said grill, and means for moving said valve member from one to the other of its two operative positions comprising, a screw threaded shaft rotatably but axially immovably mounted on said grill, means for rotating said shaft, a nut on said shaft axially movable with respect to said shaft but restrained from rotation therewith, said nut having a lug extending through a slot provided in the frame of said grill, an abutment memher for limiting the movement of said nut comprising, a plate having a diagonal end adjustably secured on the frame of said grill adjacent to said slot in such position that said diagonal end will engage the lock on said nut to limit the movement of said nut, said plate being shiftable along said grill to change the point at which said iagonal end engages said lug to thereby variably limit the movement of said nut, a groove in each of two opposite sides of said nut, a connecting member secured to said valve member and having a portion bent towards said nut, a portion of said bent portion of said connecting member being cutaway to receive said nut therein, said bent portion being provided with lugs at the extremity of said cutaway portion, said lugs engaging in said grooves to pivotally connect said nut with said valve member whereby movement of said nut axially along said screw threaded shaft will swing said valve member about said hinge from one to the other of its two operative positions.

4. A control device for a forced air register comprising a grill, a valve member hinged to said grill and movable from one to the other of two operative positions to cover or uncover said grill, and means for moving said valve member from one to the other of its two positions comprising a screw threaded shaft rotatably but axially immovably mounted on said grill, means for rotating said shaft, a nut on said shaft axially movable with respect to but restrained against rotation therewith, said nut having a lug, an adjustable abutment member for limiting the movement of said nut comprising a plate adjustably mounted on said frame adapted to engage said lug, means for securing said plate in adjusted position, and an operative connection between said nut and said valve member.

STANLEY HART. JULIUS CARLSON. 

